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The national Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) and the City of Cape Town’s inability to work together and use common sense took another turn this week when the City issued the DPWI with a fine over two hijacked problem buildings in Cape Town.

One of these buildings, in Keizergracht Street in District Six – formerly known to house the District Six Cafè – is a well-known eye-sore to Capetonians driving into the city.

The City has now erected enormous red signage reading: “This building has been declared a problem building and is owned by the national government,” on to the two buildings. The City said this was done to alert the public to the action taken following complaints received relating to drug and criminal activity.

The City’s Problem Building Unit carried out investigations and contravention notices were issued to the department, with an order to correct violations of the problem building by-law in 2019. The City of Cape Town said the department failed to act on the by-law violation notice first issued, which has now resulted in a formal ‘problem building’ declaration for both these sites, with the fines issued.

Should the buildings not be restored, the City said it may approach the courts for their sale, or demolition.

“The penalty takes the form of a tariff that has been instituted for non-compliance in accordance with the Tariff Policy.

“DPWI has been afforded enough time to remedy the transgressions but failed to.”

It’s a too-familiar story. The national government (ANC) owns property which becomes a problem for the city (DA), and the back-and-forth finger-pointing continues, fines get issued, and accusations of elitism, racism and general uselessness ensue.

In the meantime, the families and criminals who stalk the halls of the ‘problem buildings’ with anti-apartheid icons Nelson Mandela, Steve Biko, Cissie Gool, and Imam Haron muralised on its side wall, carry on with their miserable lives.

“We are suffering here. There are a lot of things going on here at night time. Robberies, cops coming here beating us, abusing us. They don’t knock on the door properly, they just push the door open. We tell them that the people who rob here in front, they don’t stay here. They only use this corner.”

“Some of them came from their homes and some of us have been living here for all our lives.”

What has become an eye-sore for most, has become a home for many of these people, and while the City and DPWI are locked in a battle over who needs to address the problem, people are raising young children in these ‘problem buildings’. It’s enough to break your heart.

 

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It’s a complex issue mired in kilometres of red tape spun tightly around a ‘problem building’ that houses local vs national bureaucracy.

In a simple world, the City of Cape Town could simply take the buildings, convert them to social housing, and then deal with the lawfare afterwards. Simpler still, the national minister in charge of these properties could just hand over the properties to the city with the caveat that they are used to house families in need.

Hell, the city and national government need not even pay for it. If developers want to build another mega-mall, why can’t fixing the old District Six Cafè building be one of the hoops they have to jump through?

But it is not that simple. The question is why can’t it be?

[source:iol]